In Search Of Deer

On Sunday,September 23,I had the distinct privilege of spending quality time with some dear friends,also called family.

It was a joy to be out in God's creation,enjoying good company and beautiful sights.

Among other adventures we went on,one was a stake out,waiting for deer to show up.

The deer had other ideas,but that did not in any way lessen the joy of being together.

On our way down tracks not used by most people,we came upon this old house nestled among the trees.I would imagine that at one time this was a busy homestead.Children were perhaps running around and playing on the yard.

Zooming back a little,I captured this picture.The evening sun painted the whole landscape a beautiful golden hue.What a perfect time to be out there.

We had a young man act as our guide. He really had hoped to be able to show us some deer,but animals like that have a mind of their own.

As we were walking along,just about to enter a stand of trees,I saw this Milkweed pod.

It looked to me like it was begging to be photographed,so I got this one quick shot.

We made it through the trees,stumbling over broken down trees and trying to avoid the low hanging branches.As we got out into the open again,this beautiful sight greeted us.

The distant bush was lit up by the evening sun and glowed in various shades of pure gold.

Wow,who needs deer when there is this much beauty around.

We were three women and one young man as our guide.

He insisted that we dress in his camouflaged jackets to avoid being seen so easily.

Vel and I were out with our cameras and Jennie and Suzanne just came to enjoy the evening.

Here we are just trying to get settled down to wait for the deer,which didn't show up until it was much too dark for pictures.

I enjoy nature and photography,but pursuing this with friends like these makes it even more enjoyable.

I call these people friends,but family would also be appropriate,as we are related in some way.

Thought for Today:

True friends are like diamonds - precious and rare.

Fall Warblers

Back on September 1st,I visited my favourite photography spot,The English Gardens in Winnipeg.

I expected to see some fall Warblers and was not disappointed. 

After I met up with several birding friends,I was pleased to see many birds,mostly Warblers.

This Yellow Warbler perched at just the right spot to get a good shot of him.

Of course the flowers are still putting on a brilliant display.

On this day I chose to focus on the birds instead of many flowers,but I could not pass this one without taking a picture.

Another  pretty little bird who showed himself was this fall plumaged American Redstart.

These birds are always on the move and therefore difficult to photograph. 

The highlight of this visit was my first ever sighting of a Northern Parula.

At first it seemed like I would have to be content with just a quick glimpse and a poor shot of this bird. Other more experienced birders who were there confirmed that the picture was that of a Northern Parula. Well,a few minutes later I got this shot,clearly showing the markings on the back and wings.

After standing around a little longer and chatting with the other birders and photographers,I was able to get this shot,showing the faint colours on the breast. Of course I would love to see this bird in breeding plumage,but am thrilled to have seen and photographed another Lifer.

I didn't get a lot of pictures on this day,but seeing a new bird made my trip well worth it.

I left for home with a smile on my face and my heart lifted in praise.

Thought for today:

Worship the Lord in all you do.

Remembering Mom and Dad

30 years ago today my Mom was promoted to Glory.

After all these years,I still miss her and wish I could talk with her again and tell her how much I really love her.

Dad went to join her on July 31,2001,so they are walking down those streets of gold together.

The little boy in Dad's arms is my son Steve,who is now all grown up with a daughter of his own.

The one consolation I have is that some day we will be together much longer than we have been apart.

I am looking forward to all those wonderful reunions.

Back to Blogging

I feel like I have been away from posting for a long time.In fact it has been at least one week.

I know that I don't need to explain,but I was enjoying The National Quartet Convention,via live webcasts,from Louisville Kentucky.

I have never been there in person,but this was a very good substitute.

Anyway,I'm back with a heart that is overflowing with praise and good Gospel singing.

On September the 3rd,my sister,Becky and I went in search of a small lake we knew about.

Before we got there we noticed the start of the fall colours.

I love seeing these colours,but also know that when they leave,and they will shortly,it will be drab and bare until the snow comes.

This is Mary Jane Lake,or at least a part of it. It is really a decent sized lake and one which fishermen and boaters enjoy.

I liked this calm and peaceful scene.

Along the shores of the lake the wild asters were putting on a show.

I like these small,yet pretty flowers.Many insects were also enjoying the flowers.

Not to be outdone,the Goldenrod was blooming profusely. Purple and yellow seem to be the colours of fall in the wildflower realm.

 We saw several small Garter Snakes,but they were too quick for me to get any pictures.

This frog,on the other hand posed quite well.

For anyone interested here is a link to one song done at NQC.

Triumphant Quartet at NQC 2012

Beauty In The Sky

I mentioned in my last post that I missed seeing clouds for the sunrise. A few days later I had my wish come true and all I had to do was go to my back yard.

The colour of the sky changed,depending on which direction I pointed the camera.

So as not to take away from the beauty,I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

The word WOW kept on coming from my lips as I watched God say 'Good-Morning' to my little piece of the world.

An Early Morning

A week ago on Saturday,September 1,I got up EARLY in order to capture the sunrise.

I left my house  a few minutes after 6AM and headed out of town,looking for the best spot to capture the sunrise.

There were no clouds in the sky this morning and so the sunrise was not as pretty as I had hoped for.

Here that beautiful sun is just peeking over the horizon.

Once the sun was up,I started back home,but found more beauty along the way.

The grain terminal in the distance almost looks like it is floating in water.

I loved that golden morning light.

While I was stopped to capture the above image,I turned to look to the west and saw the moon in the sky.I don't take a lot of moon pictures,but this was one opportunity I could not pass up.

Just below the moon I saw this tree bathed in the warm light of the morning sun.

I know that this is not a perfect picture,but I really liked the colour of the scene.

Getting closer to town I saw this American Kestrel sitting on the wires. Experience has told me that as soon as I stop it will flay away.I guess this bird was different as it sat long enough for me to get several shots of it.I was hoping he would turn around,but you see,beggars can't be choosers,so I had to settle for this view.

I was happy with the pictures I got that morning,but a few days later I was able to photograph a much prettier sunrise. Pictures to follow in another post to come soon,so stay tuned.

Thought for today:

Creation is filled with signs that point to the Creator.

A Visit To Family

On Wednesday,August 29,my sister and I took a day trip north of Winnipeg,to visit family at their cottage.Actually this is Jake's brother,his wife and two daughters,but I prefer to call them my family,as the term in-laws just doesn't feel right.

They own a cottage on the shore of Lake Winnipeg.

We picked one of the hottest days of the summer to make this 2 ½ hour trip.

Today I am showing just a few pictures I took while we were there.

This was the beautiful scene as we approached the beach area.

On a less hot day,I would have loved to spend hours just relaxing in the shade of the trees and watching the water,but on this day,we chose not to spend too much time there.

Looking up at the sun through the trees,one can almost feel that heat.

Of course for those ,like my niece,who love the water,a dive into the water proved to be very refreshing. The water was very shallow here,but that did  not keep Claire from having a good time.

I took several shots of the waves and was pleasantly surprised to see the colours I had captured.

No,there was nothing in the area from which this could have reflected,so I have no idea what it is.

I think it must just be the reflection of the light. Whatever the cause,it makes for a pleasing picture.

I thought this one looked like someone had thrown a handful of pink confetti on the water.

I need to show the creativity of these two girls.Claire made this flower pen for me.The flower is made of duck tape.I think it is beautiful.

While Claire was making a flower,Olivia was busy painting her nails.

Look at the creativity shown here.I might add both hands were perfectly done.

This girl has great talent when it comes to drawing things,and some of that shows through on her nails.

We had a great time visiting with this lovely family and were served several delicious meals,in the air-conditioned comfort of their cottage.

Thanks Tim,Liz,Olivia and Claire for a wonderful time,I think I might have to make another trip up there before winter.

Back To Nature

It is September 2nd. I feel like I should be announcing,"now back to our regular scheduled programming".For one week I have featured the Morden Corn and Apple Festival and as fun as that was, I am ready to look at nature's beauty again.

So we are back to the regular type of pictures for me.

The pictures I am showing today have no particular reason for being here,except that they bring joy to me and I trust they will to you as well.

It is no secret that I like clouds and sky pictures.On this particular day the bright clouds highlighted the few dark ones in the front. As I said,they have no other reason for showing up on this post,than that I liked how they looked.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are a favourite of many and I am no exception.

As many pictures as I already have of these birds,when given the chance,I will take many more.

The bright yellow petals of the sunflower are equally as pretty when viewed from the back as they are from the front.

A vibrant rosy Zinnia is the perfect spot for this white butterfly.

The contrast makes me smile.I like bright colours.

Pretty purple flowers make the right backdrop for this Clearwing Moth.This was one of those moments when I was taking pictures of these flowers and suddenly this moth showed up.I was at the right place at the right time.

Thought for today:

Remember that God values you for who you are,not for what you do.